EP.208
I am now the plenipotentiary ambassador to Sweden on behalf of the Emperor of the Reich Empire.
The person in front of me is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the King of Sweden.
In this case, since the Minister of Foreign Affairs has a higher rank and is dozens of years older than me, it would not be diplomatic disrespect for me to speak in a somewhat casual manner.
So, in this case, you use a tone like ‘Hasige’ in a non-rude tone.
Just looking at him, he looks like he’s about 30 to 40 years older than me, and his rank is Minister of Foreign Affairs, so he’s treated like a captain or higher in the military.
To be honest, I feel burdened by people using honorifics toward me as if I were a subordinate.
In fact, rather than feeling burdened, I had a strong feeling that he was declaring war that he would do his best even though he was dealing with ‘a brat like me’.
“It is an honor to meet His Excellency Brahe, a renowned diplomat from Sweden. “This is Lieutenant General Peter Jaeger, who has come to represent His Majesty the Reich Emperor.”
“I have heard through rumors that she is not yet 30 years old, but judging by her looks alone, I would believe her if she said she would graduate from the Academy next year. “He’s handsome, and he’s a sword master, so he must have good physical strength. Plus, he’s young, so I’m really jealous of him.”
“I am ashamed, Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
Foreign Minister Brahe started telling me all kinds of flattering stories to try to lighten my mood as much as possible, and I accepted them half-heartedly.
“Haha sorry. I happen to have a grandson who is exactly the age of a lieutenant general, so… Saddam has gone on for too long. “Then let’s start talking in earnest.”
After hearing that, I put the negotiation draft I had written down in front of him and said,
“I ask you to agree to this pledge containing the contents of the end of the alliance with the Kingdom of Stockholm and the plan to occupy the northern part of the Empire. If so, we will pay you 200,000 gold in return. How is it?”
Although my initial request was 200,000 gold, His Majesty gave me the authority to pay up to 1.2 million gold at my discretion, equivalent to 30% of the empire’s budget.
However, the reason I asked for 200,000 gold was because I thought it would be good if I succeeded in forming an alliance at a low price because I would get the maximum effect with the minimum cost.
So, I tried it with the intention of just doing it randomly…
“200,000 gold is definitely not a small amount of money. However, we cannot break our promise to the Kingdom of Stockholm just to that extent. No, even if you give me 1 million gold, I cannot accept that offer. “Do you intend to insult the honor of His Majesty the King?”
“I have no intention of doing so, Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, I will give a short explanation to help you understand my suggestion. Could you please listen to the end? “After listening, judge.”
“Please tell me, but our kingdom will abide by the alliance it made with the Kingdom of Stockholm until the end.”
According to what I heard from Deputy Foreign Minister Wolfgang on my way here, everything diplomats say with confidence is either a lie or bullshit.
So, don’t be nervous and explain calmly, and you will be able to persuade me.
“As you know, Minister of Foreign Affairs, this alliance is completely unhelpful to the Kingdom of Sweden.”
“The Kingdom of Stockholm offered to give us half of the northern region of the Reich Empire. Moreover, if you form an alliance with the Kingdom of Stockholm, there will be no need for wars between neighboring countries, so you can invest time in rebuilding the interior. “Isn’t this an alliance that is sufficiently beneficial to us?”
“That would be so if Stockholm keeps its promise, but you know very well that won’t happen, sir. “I would sooner convert a pagan sultan to Deusism than expect them to keep their word.”
Between people and companies, if you make a promise and do not keep it, there is a country that will sanction you in the name of the law, so you try to keep your promise even if it means some harm to yourself.
However, on the Europa continent, there is no organization at all to mediate disputes or decide between right and wrong between countries, so it is common sense that if they think that it is more advantageous to not keep a promise than to keep it, they immediately betray and betray their allies, etc.
As proof, when the François Republic was excommunicated, we burned all of the weapons worth 50,000 gold and other debts owed to the merchants headquartered in François.
This is because they thought it would be beneficial to break their promises to the top companies and not repay their debts if the legal basis for the claim disappeared.
When Brahe heard me, he remained calm, but spoke with anger in his voice.
“So, are you saying that His Majesty the King of Sweden is a puppet being tricked and used by the evil Stockholm guys? “If you make such an insult, it will be difficult for you to leave alive, no matter how much you came as a representative of His Majesty the Reich Empire.”
At the same time as he said that, Brahe gave a signal, and the two knights guarding the door suddenly approached me and pointed their swords at my throat, wondering if they were trying to threaten me or kill me.
Even though I have the title of Sword Master, I am bare-handed now, and the situation of two well-trained knights holding swords to my neck, aimed only at me, was honestly quite scary.
However, if he showed signs of fear here, he would be disqualified as an officer, so he acted as calm as possible.
“Are you trying to show me the high level of military power of the knights, Your Excellency? “Please put down the knife.”
“If you apologize for that ridiculous bullshit, I’ll let you go.”
“Could you please listen to my story a little longer? “I have come to tell you a story that will be helpful to both Sweden and the Reich Empire.”
Brahe seemed to think that it was worth listening to me a little more, so he made a signal with his hand and had the knights withdraw their swords.
“Let me ask you something first. If you had decided to form an alliance with the Kingdom of Stockholm and attack the North, you would have been sharing detailed information about the situation in the North. Have you heard the story that about two months ago, a man named Ishtaven, who had been in secret with Stockholm, defected to Stockholm with 40 tribes that followed him?”
At those words, Brahe’s expression was neither anger nor affirmation; he had not heard anything and had no idea, so he only now looked surprised.
A diplomat would be able to make facial expressions like this even after waking up and not washing his face, but when I saw him, I could see some agitation in his eyes.
I guess I really didn’t know.
“It’s an obvious story that doesn’t even need to be told, but Ishtaven led 40 tribes into exile before a full-scale battle broke out between the Reich Empire and the Kingdom of Stockholm. “Because I have perfectly organized the chaotic state of the North.”
If another minister or general of the Reich Empire had said this, the old foreign minister in front of me would have doubted the truth of what I said until he confirmed it with his subordinates.
If you think about common sense, if as many as 40 tribes out of the 170 or so tribes in the North were to leave in an instant, about a quarter of the population and livestock of the entire North would have disappeared, creating all sorts of vacuums.
The remaining guys have no choice but to fight day and night over this.
However, I am a Khan Slayer with a status second only to the Emperor in the North.
Therefore, I personally used my reputation as Khan Slayer to warn them that I would kill them if they fought for the place they left, and they all got along well.
It is a bit problematic that among the chieftains, there is often a guy who says his daughter is pretty and tries to give her to him as a concubine.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell our ally Sweden this important information. Then you probably don’t know this information. After killing Khan, I took over as commander of the Northern Army and began serving normally in the Northern Indian Imperial Army. In other words, the people living in the North now are completely different from the opportunists that His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs knew. “If you entered the North without knowing that information, you would have been seriously injured.”
Foreign Minister Brahe listened to my story and nodded and answered.
“All the circumstantial evidence is perfect. Now, we will actively listen to your story.”
“I’ll be honest with you. There won’t be much to be gained by trying our northern territory in Sweden now. Because the evil Stockholm bastards will try to take away half of the northern territory that Sweden took over according to the alliance treaty out of the northern territory that was obtained by joining forces with the Kingdom of Sweden. Then, the two countries will later go to war to gain hegemony in the north, and wouldn’t the Kingdom of Sweden be at a disadvantage as it has a smaller population and therefore less soldiers? So, the Stockholm bastards who planned this scheme must be punished even now.
“What if it’s punishment? “What are you going to do?”
At those words, I smiled brightly and said.
“There’s a saying I learned back when I was a commoner: Anyone who tries to hit someone in the back of the head should be prepared to have their head blown off by the other person’s sword. “The King of Stockholm insulted His Majesty the King of Sweden, so wouldn’t it be the duty of a subject to serve the King to make him pay 100 to 1,000 times the price?”
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